


Half Known Acquaintances

by ODeorainFan2150



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Comfort, F/M, Panic Attacks, Social Anxiety, Strangers to Lovers, Symmetra is literally an architect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-18 19:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16124960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ODeorainFan2150/pseuds/ODeorainFan2150
Summary: She never liked these the social events around the opening of her designs. Too much pomp and circumstance, too much focus on the people.Her creation was always the afterthought to most people.This time, it was different though.





	Half Known Acquaintances

The party was in full swing. The speeches were done and the entrance hall echoed with faint music, the gentle hum of conversation and the tinkling of champagne glasses. Everyone here was celebrating the opening of the very latest construction from the desk of Symmetra Designs, again pushing forward the latest in architectural innovation.

Satya Vaswani sat at a table near the back of the hall. These events were always more of Olivia’s forte, a chance for her to work her magic and hunt down more work. She could see her through the crowd near the front of the party, dressed in that brand new purple dress that Reyes had specially designed for her, surrounded by the city’s greatest. Her eyes shined, laughing at something one of her companions had said. Knowing her skill with that impish smile, dangerous when combined with a few clever words, they would be walking away with several new requests for meetings in the coming week.

Mr Wilhelm was also holding court with the more technically minded guests, describing some part of the process needed to bring this beautiful building to life. Winston was joining in on the act, explaining things in his usual scholarly way while looking over his glasses to make sure those around him were following along. In contrast, the larger German was translating for the lay people, throwing his hands around to show off some process or explain a concept in a way that those without a degree could understand.

She liked working with all of them. Olivia acting as her public face, Winston helping with the technology side (in between his university roles) and Reinhardt being the one on site making the magic happen with the help of a loud voice and easy manner. It left her free to do the design and engineering, working how she preferred to - away from the crowd, methodically working through every angle and fixture to give the perfect end result for the client. They were her closest friends, and she clung on to them for support on occasion.

In contrast, the rest of the room was filled with faces she didn’t know. No one bothered her but she could feel them staring. She couldn’t tell exactly what the source was this time. Maybe it was the fact she was sat by herself, inquisitive minds asking about the lonely lady. Maybe it was the sari, it’s bright blue only helping to stand out from the collection of suits and dresses the rest of the room was clad in. Perhaps it was her arm, the crisp white plates covering the machinery within. No matter what it was, she could feel them, their gazes making her skin crawl slightly when she thought too long about it. It took a lot of her energy to package those feelings up and cast them aside.

Looking down, she caught herself absentmindedly sketching on a napkin, a few rough ideas she always had stored away for future projects. This was always a sign she should be heading off, returning home before she did something to embarrass herself.

More people started milling about the room. Suddenly Satya felt like she needed some air. She’d shown up long enough to stop Olivia feeling like she was being given undue credit, heard the speech praising her work and now she wanted to go and recharge. Even just being around these people was exhausting. She took her handbag and set off strolling around her creation, all ready for a few final looks around the space she’d made real before moving on to something new in the morning.

\--

The brief from the client had asked for a courtyard between the entrance space and the main building, a small patch of nature among the hard elements. Yet they had also needed it to be covered, to prevent the office workers getting their suits wet at the start of the day. It had been a technical challenge but one she had relished, something that could be done easily but with a spark of inspiration could truly make the building. 

It had taken weeks for her to finally settle on a solution, combing a dramatic exterior with the materials needed for it to maintain its strength. She now stood in this gigantic cavern under glass, looking over the courtyard and its gleaming expanse of white stone. Her eyes were drawn in particular to the centre where a great tree, surrounded by curved stone benches, filled the space.

“It’s quite beautiful, is it not?” a deep voice echoed from behind her, interrupting her thoughts.

Satya jumped and looked around for the source of the intrusion into her thoughts. A gentleman in a white suit had joined her, walking slowly from the direction of the party. He was tall and broad, his dark skin and shaved head shining in the moonlight above. She hadn’t seen him mingling among the guests, but something seemed familiar about him.

He bowed slightly “I’m sorry if I disturbed you, it was not my intention”. She could hear a slight accent to his voice, something from sub-Saharan Africa.

Composing herself, she nodded “It is no matter, I just needed a break”

“From the rabble in there?” He laughed, a short harsh bark. “They can be a bit taxing I’ll admit. All that handshaking and politely nodding, when there is this to enjoy” He gestured to the courtyard.

Taking another step forward, he turned his head to face up at the expanse of glass shining above him. She could see his eyes moving around, admiring the view.

Satya followed his gaze, turning the conversation to something she was more comfortable with - the building “The construction work is outstanding. Stretching the glass across that shape is no easy feat, especially without any support structure.”

The man waved his hand in the air dismissively “I’m sorry but I must correct you - there is a support structure. But, credit to the designer, it is skillfully hidden. Combining the glass with a hard light frame to hold the panels in place is genius unlike any I’ve seen before. It makes the whole space come to life without all the steel girders blocking the sun, while still being safe enough to survive a hurricane”

She paused, still staring at the glass roof. Very few people knew about the inclusion of hard light. It had been something she’d developed alongside Winston just for this building, it’s patent still pending. She’d taken great pains to make sure it hadn’t leaked - someone must have talked if this guest knew about it.

The man moved into the centre of the courtyard, approaching the small patch of greenery with Satya following a short distance behind. She was now watching him closely. Despite his size, he moved with a certain grace, almost like that of a dancer or a boxer. He also seemed entranced by the building, running his hands along the surfaces he was able to reach as he passed them. There was a certain amount of wonder on his face with a hint of pride mixed in as well.

“The overall shape is also expertly designed. Inspired by nature from our founder’s home country, a more refined version of a termite mound. Keeps itself warm in winter, cool in summer, the hard light capturing the sun’s rays to turn into electricity to cover the basic requirements. Like it’s inspiration - self-sufficient but still very much part of its surroundings in order to gain the full effect.”

He paused underneath the bough of the tree that dominated the centre of the courtyard, reaching up to touch the branch above him. His wide hand followed the contours back to the trunk. He taped it with his knuckle.

“And then this. This is the jewel of the whole space. The architect brought life out of the concrete, giving us enough room to plant a tree in here.”

The tree had been a touch she had insisted on. Something to offset the white of the interior, give a touch of green and brown. She’d always loved passing the woods on the way to university, a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the town. 

This discussion seemed familiar to her - it sounded like something she had remembered writing back when they had first pitched this idea.

The man had continued “She also chose the species as well, one from my homeland. I remember visiting my grandmother and there was one of these at the end of the garden. We’d sit on the porch when the storms rolled in and watch the rain come down. The leaves release a chemical into the air when exposed to water that gives off a pleasant bouquet, as I’m sure you can smell right now.”

She was used to the aroma. Oliva had procured a clipping of this species of tree after she’d read about it in one of the interviews with the client’s founder. It had now grown into a small shrub, kept in check by Satya every morning like clockwork - she found it helped to focus her for the day, caring and tending for a plant. When she sprayed it with water, the odour was pleasant, not too sweet but still fragrant, more like a mild perfume. It had filled her apartment, making it feel less hard and artificial than it had been before.

Lost in memories for a moment, he paused before turning to face her, laughing quietly to himself.

“Ah. You must excuse me, my manners seem to have abandoned me. I am Akande Ogundimu”

Ogundimu. Of course. That’s how he knew about the building. After all, it was his.

She hadn’t recognised him in person, all of their previous communications had been either via email or through Olivia. But she knew all about him. The building work had been contracted by the foundation but she knew that all the final decisions had to go through him - that’s how these arrangements always worked. So she had done what she always did - she studied him, researched his background and upbringing, investigated fluff pieces and magazine articles to see what styles and shapes they showed him liking. His heritage and homeland had always been a point of pride in the interviews and so she had taken that core idea, moulded it into a form she could best show off her own talents and combined it with the latest technology befitting one of her designs.

She took his hand and shook it, the thin pale fingers of her prosthetic dwarfed by his giant paw. The shake was firm but also gentle, obviously someone who knew own strength and didn’t need to prove it to anyone. She also noticed that he didn’t react when feeling the combination of metal and carbon fibre in his grip - most people made at least a small shudder, the hard and cool surface unexpected against warm and pliable flesh.

He continued “I must also apologise for my correction earlier, it was rude of me. Although you already knew all about the hard light, didn’t you Miss Vaswani?”

Satya froze, like a rabbit in the headlights. The panic started to rise. How did he know?

Noticing her reaction, his smile widened “Seems I guessed correctly. A pleasure to finally put a beautiful face to the name I kept seeing in my inbox and on the wonderful plans you drew. I am very happy with the final product”

She let him finish before asking him directly “How did you know it was me?”

“I had some idea from watching the room during the ceremony. Sitting at the back by yourself, beaming with pride when Miss Colomar made her speech but otherwise uninterested in the proceedings. Most of the other guests will have donated thousands to be here tonight but you looked like you would pay double to be anywhere else. “ 

“But the main thing,” He pulled a paper tissue from this pocket and held it out to her, her idle doodling still visible on it. “Your sketches at the table. I recognised the style from the plans you delivered all those months ago. Still incredible work, no matter what the medium.”

She walked over to one of the stone benches around the tree and sat down, placing her bag beside her and leaning forward slightly. Slowly he moved to join her, sitting off to one side. She noticed he left plenty of space between them, obviously not wishing to intrude. Even so, she gripped the bench tighter.

She hated being like this. She hated the panic that came up. Her brain was running at 100 miles an hour, worrying about every little thing. But part of her was watching Akande.

Now that they had moved, she could see his reactions. Normally when she was like this people either rushed in to “help” or started trying to ignore what was going on. Instead, he was watching her, his face now wracked with concern but waiting for her to make the first move. He placed his large hand closer to her on the bench and she grabbed it, gripping it tightly. She could feel her heartbeat starting to slow, her careful breathing taking effect.

There was a moment before she started speaking again, taking the time to carefully pick her words and let her breathing take effect. She coughed. “Sorry, this evening I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed.” 

Another pause.

“I should also apologise to you Mr Ogundimu. For not being more visible in the design process. It always feels rude to work through my partners but I perform better without being distracted by people. I’m not the most… capable when it comes to working with new faces.”

His concern was replaced with a gentle smile. “I did wonder after the first few meetings where you were a no-show. Ms Colomar is the face while you are the soul? It is a perfect pairing; I was almost ashamed of my staff after the initial contract was signed but your designs were worth the fee and much more.”

He shuffled in his seat slightly “Miss Vaswani, I feel like I’m finally talking to someone I’ve only half met before. All of your email correspondence and notes on plans, they spoke to me on a deeply personal level. I was wondering if you would see me again so we can talk more, face to face.”

She could feel her heartbeat racing again. This time though, she was sure it wasn’t a panic attack. 

Watching her, he continued “I’d like to get to know the woman who designed me this incredible work. To merge the artistic with the technical with economic is no small feat - only someone truly special could make it work as well as it does. This is the sort of person I would like to get to know more.”

He considered for a moment “Although I’m sure you’ve had a long night, maybe I should call you a car and we can discuss times some other day.”

Reaching inside his coat, he started to grab his phone when he felt her hand holding it in place.

Satya never thought of herself as impulsive - that was always Olivia’s method. Satya preferred to plan and design what she would do, sticking to optimal routines and we'll worn paths. But here, sat next to Akande, her adrenaline slowly returning to normal, she felt happy. She wanted to risk it, to see where this would go.

Quietly, she made her feelings known “Perhaps we could start our discussion now? Maybe somewhere more private”

He paused, surprised for a moment, before talking. “Are you sure Miss Vaswani? I would not want to rush you into anything or make you feel uncomfortable.”

She smoothed her delicate sari and looked him directly in the eye, a bit of confidence returning to her voice “You would not be. Through my preparation for this building, I feel much like you do - half knowing someone. I’d like to fix that. And besides, I’d prefer not to return home alone tonight.“

He smiled again, taking her hand and gently kissing it “It would be a pleasure to talk more with you. And I can’t think of a better place to go than the penthouse of the building you designed. I hear the view from the top is something special”

\--

When Satya woke the following day, she lay in the large double bed for a while, letting her mind replay the night’s events in her mind while gazing out of the window at the daylight streaming in. 

When they had reached the apartment, they hadn’t moved with the mad passion she had always imagined these evenings going. Instead, they had been smoother, more methodical, taking the time to learn what each other liked, their bodies moving in sync with each other. He had swept her off her feet and carried her to the bed and, once they had finished, she’d laid in his embrace, his wide arms wrapping gently around her, making her feel safe. 

She’d remembered them talking late into the night, covering everything from Nigeria to her arm. She usually felt slightly ashamed of it but he had treated it just as another part of her. While they had been laying together, he had rolled his fingers over to inspect it, feeling the plastic and metal contours with his fingertips.

“Beautiful” he had whispered “just like the rest of you”

That memory, in particular, brought a smile to her face.

The bathroom door opened and out stepped Akande. He was only wearing a towel wrapped around his thick waist, his muscular body still shining from the heat of the shower. He smiled at her, crossing the room before placing a kiss gently on her forehead. She moved to bring their lips together and the kiss lingered for longer this time.

When they broke apart, both smiling at the other, he spoke. His voice was still deep but now she noticed the way it flowed. He could have been reading a phonebook and she would have found it comforting.

“And good morning to you, Satya. Your phone was going off while you slept, I think you have several messages from your business partners.” He smiled, that wide grin illuminating his face, “Take a look to see what they want, I’ll get you some juice to start the day.”

Pulling her bag out from under her clothes, she checked her phone. There were a few emails she’d follow up later, some texts and photos from Olivia showing her and the rest of the crew continuing the celebration and a calendar event rearranging today’s only meeting. It looked like she had the rest of the day to herself.

Pausing, she watched Akande in the kitchen as he fetched glasses and poured the drinks, the muscles in his back moving like waves on a sea as he performed this simple task. “Well, not entirely to myself,” she thought before getting up to join him.

**Author's Note:**

> A little idea I had to write. Wanted to try something new and this pairing seemed an interesting one.
> 
> I also took a little more time writing this so hopefully it shows!
> 
> Also got to love a nice modern AU. I might end up writing a few more in this setting - Sombra has too much potential in an environment like this!
> 
> If you like this work, I love hearing your comments - I'll always try and respond! Alternatively, drop me an email at odeorainfan2150@gmail.com
> 
> Follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/deorainfan2150 for news on what I'm working on next.
> 
> If you want to throw me a tip, you can find my Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/odeorainfan2150.


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